Portable fence panel



J. W. HUDNALL- PORTABLE FENCE PANEL Oct. 18,1927. 1,646,293

Filed April 9, 192-7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 tion taken substantially on the lineg8 Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

QH W LI IDNALL eaaEY PQs L vis e- PORTABLE rEN'oE Pn vEL.

' j'Application filed Apri19,

Thepresent invention relates to fences, and more particularly to that'vtype which is made up of a plurality of portable panels.

An object of the present inventionlis to provide a sectional fence comprising a. number of "panels so I Constructed as 11:0 interlock atopposite ends in either straight line formation or at angles, and wherein the interlocking may take place when the ,fence is set upon aahillside or on ground whichis unlevel, the character of the ground having no efiectupon Tthe Z'interlocking features."

Anotherjobject ofthe invention is to-provide a fencelpanel'of thischaracter with a shoe at one end adapted to interfit andhold the opposite end ofTa-n adjacent panel, atan angle to the first panel, so that the ,two panels will. :be interlocked and interbraced jwitlr and against-each other, andwherein-the shoe is constructed: toc receive thelopposite end of the adjacent panel when disposed at substantially, any langleqwithin practical limits with respect to the @firstpanel.

Another object of theinv'ention is to provide aifencepanel' of this type which may be constructed of a relatively small amount of lumber orother material, and wherein the structure embraces a peculiarffarrangement; of trails and-uprights plvotally connected of afence constructed according tothe pres- .ent invention, and showing the, fence mountfled hnsubstantially level ground.

iFigure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentaryvi e-w of; the same showing the connection'between .ed on a hillside or oninclined ground.

, iFigrure 3 1s.a fragmentary, enlarged iec 7 Figure 2, and'showing the,locking,rail of one section lfitting in the socket of. another 1 section. and at an anglethereto.

'Figuret is aside elevation of one endot the improved panel, the same showing the ,locking rail andstapleon the opposite end ot the panel from that shown inFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspectivevview of a pair 1927. Serial No. 152,354.

:Referring to the drawings, the ;fence is l ,madeup of a plurality of panels which may be made for right or-;lefthand interlocking, as shown in Figures 1 ,and 4,. and may, cem- Each panel of the fence, comprisesa plu- Irality of, longitudinal wrails;10 ,of suitable .prise any numberyofthese panels disposed m either a stra ght-line or jat. angles-jto, one .another, according tothe requirements;

length,.and' which are spaced apart above i .one another any. suitable distances, accord ing .to the nature of thetencd and which [maybe interbraced or strengthened byjagbase wire 'llland one or more top wires112 Illhe vrails and wires10, 11',- and-12am supported upon a plnralitytof uprights or posts 13, Wl11Cl1 are secured bysinglerivets ltto the rails-10 and.- by staples l5, orvthe like,', ,to

the wires 11 and 12. The use otsingle rivets =14 at the crossing portionsoftherailsend p stsadmits of the swinging of the .rails upon' the .plvots when the panel lS QIBGtQd oninclined ground, so thatlthe postslBnray be maintained upright or vertical while th rails 10 may assume a positionsubstantially .parallel-.with1that of the surface lof the ground. This arrangement .ofthe "fence is shown inEigureQ. Y Y 'Foruthepurposeof reenit'orcing. the fence and providing interlocking ,and supporting portions, the rails 10 are providedgwithan upright 16 near each endof the panel but disposed upon theside oftthelpanelopposite to thatiat-iwhich the posts 13 are isecnred. The posts 16 .are spaced from theposts-13,

lengthwise of the panel, and, are also spaced I tromthe opposite ends of the panel. adjacent panels and showing the fcnceerect.

bar 17 isattachedto the inner side, of fthe post 13 so as to overliethe. top rail 10, and the locking bar 17 extends outwardlybe- I tween theposts 13 and 16 and beyondthe adjacent end of the panel; The lowerrails :10

,ofthe panel are suitably spaced apart'to provide a slot 19 therebetween, and the slot 19 is adapted to receivea tonguei'ZO is carried by an adjacentpanelat its opposite end and which is secured between the lower rails and the adjacent postslS and 16. The said posts 13 and.16 carry a shoe 21 which is disposed in spaced relation below the tongue 20, butwhich does not lie within the plane of the lower rails 10 ofthe panel,

but which is secured at its inner end by a rivet 22to the lower end of the post 16, and

which is inclined laterally of the'panel and engages across the. outer or end post 13, as shown in Figure 6, so as to dispose the shoe 21 at' an angle to the panel. Theshoe 21 extends beyond the panel and is adapted to engage the endpost 13 at the opposite end of the adjacent panel, so that thepost13 may be bolted into diiierent angles against the shoe 21' 'for supporting thepanels-one against I a the other irrespective of the angular d1spos1- tion of the same. From Figures '5. and 6 it will be noted that the tongue 20 engages one side of the end post 13 of the righthand panel, while the shoe 21 engages the opposite side of said post. The post isthus confined between the tongue and the shoe butis permitted to turn therebetween into different angular positions. The shoe 21 flares outwardly with respect to the tongue. 20, and,

consequently, the post lying between the tongue and shoe may be wedged to a more 28 thusformed being of sufficient height to readily receive the locking bar 17 of the'adjacent panel. 1 As shown to advantage in 51, 17 engaging the Figure 3, the bar 17 may be projected atany desired angle through the'isocket' 23, the end post13and being confined between the short rail 24 and the top raillO V v F or the purpose of securing the panel: sections against each other and from accidental displacement, a hasp or strap 25ishinged at one end permanently by astaple 26 to one endof the panel. The hasp 25 at its other end is adapted to engage overa' staple- 27' carried on the other end of the panel, and a locking pin 2Sinay be employed to'engage in the staple 27 and hold the ha'sp 25 thereover. Pin 28 maybe permanently attached to the panel by a chain 29 securedatone end to the panel and at its other end to the pin.

The top rails 12 may be spaced apart above and below the top rail 10 so asto make the section cattle-proof, while the base rail 11 may be suitably positionedor constructf ed to ward off hogs, and other small animals. In settingup the fence, it is only necessary to bring together the interlocking ends of the seopeof thefollowing claimsw w gagement between the the panels so that thelocking bar 17 of one panel may engage} in the socket 23 of the opposite panel. The panels, of course, may be disposed in straight line position, as shown inFigures l and 2, or may be set at various angles .to each other, such as shown in Fig ure 5. As the locking bar 17 is brought into the socket 23,.the end post of the opposite panel is advanced into theshoe 21, while the tongue 20 engages in. the slot 19. The hasp 25*niay now be swung into position andsecured as abovedescribed. Whenlthe panels "are disposed at an angle, it: may be necessary to-shorten the hasp, and this is done by merely bending or crimping it, asshown'in Figure5. As the tails are securedrby rivets 14 orthe like to the posts, the. latter maybe swung into any desired angle relativelyto the railsl10,so as to maintain the posts i'n upright position at all times, and at the same timemaintain the rails 10 at the desired height above the surface of. the ground.

v It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be madej'in the details of construction and desi n ofthe above specifically described embodiment of this inventiomwithout departing fromthe spirit thereof and being restricted onlyfby What is claimed is:':-

1. A fence panel "comprising spaced rails, spaced posts ,pivotally connected to the 7 rails at one si'de thereof, an upright pivotally mounted uponlthe rails in spaced relationto the end posts of the panel, a locking bar pivote'dtooneofthe posts adjacent the top rail and extending l outwardly between the; end post and the upright atone end of the panel, and a short rail atthe other end otthe panel between the end post and thefadjacenfupright and spaced from the top rail to-pro videtherewith a socket for the receptionof the projecting locking bar of an adjacent panel. 1 i

2. Afence panel comprising spaced rails, a set of posts mounted upon one side of the rails, asecond set of posts secured to the opposite side of the rails and spacedlongitudiotedto a post neafoneerid of the paneland extending outwardly from the post across nally between said posts, alockingbar 'pivthe adjacent posts, theopposite end ofsaid V panelhaving a socket therein adapted to receive Sfl.]d"l0CklI1gbtI, a shoe mounted upon" the lower portion of said op osite end ofthe panel for receiving the en post i of the first end ofa second panel, and a tongue disposed opposite to said shoe on the end of the panel supporting the shoeforenrails of the panel to hold said post against the shoe,

3. A fence panel comprising spaced'rails, spaced posts pivotally connected to the rails for supporting the latter'in parallel relation irrespective of the slope of the ground upon which the fence is erected, a locking bar pivotedrto one end of the panel and disposed across adjacent posts for holdingthe locking bar from swinging, said panel having a socket between the rails at its opposite end for the reception of the locking bar of an adjacent panel, a shoe carried on one end of the panel and flaring outwardly from said end, and a tongue spaced from the shoe and projecting outwardly from the panel, said tongue and shoe adapted to receive therebetween the opposite end of an adjacent panel and admit the swinging of said end against the shoe into various angular positions relatively to the first panel.

4. A fence panel comprising rails, posts secured to the rails, a projecting portion carried upon the upper part of the panel at one end thereof, a second projecting portion carried by the lower part of the panel at the opposite end thereof, receiving portions disposed complementarily upon the opposite ends of the panel for receiving the projecting portions of adjacent panels, and a flaring shoe carried upon one end of the panel adapted to receive the opposite end of a second panel and support the latter in various positions relatively to the first panel.

JOHN WILLIS HUDNALL. 

